ANSYS, Inc. Release Notes
ANSYS, Inc. Release Notes
This section describes changes to elements at Release 14.0.
Some elements are not available from within the GUI. For a list of those elements, see GUI-Inaccessible Elements in the Element Reference.
The following elements have been enhanced in this release:
TARGE169 and TARGE170 -- These target segment elements now have an option to define the symmetry condition of a constrained surface. This option applies when a force distributed constraint uses a single pilot node for the target element. The new KEYOPT(6) allows you to define the symmetry condition with respect to the nodal coordinate system of the pilot node.
TARGE169, CONTA171, and CONTA172 -- These 2-D surface-to-surface target and contact elements now support a geometry correction feature that can be applied to circular contact and target surfaces to reduce discretization errors associated with linear elements.
CONTA171 and CONTA172 -- These 2-D surface-to-surface contact elements now support the surface-projection-based method specified by setting KEYOPT(4) = 3 for the contact detection option.
CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175 -- These 3-D contact elements now include squeal damping for use in brake squeal analyses via the new real constants FDMB and FDMS and the new KEYOPT(16).
CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, and CONTA174 -- For these 2-D and 3-D surface-to-surface contact elements, the surface projection method of contact detection (KEYOPT(4) = 3) can now be used in conjunction with the MPC contact option (KEYOPT(2) = 2).
CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173, CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177 -- These 2-D and 3-D contact elements now offer the following new or enhanced features:
Contact stabilization damping is now available via the new real constants FDMN and FDMT and the new KEYOPT(15). As a result of this new method, the use of real constant FKOP to input a damping coefficient for standard or rough contact is undocumented.
A critical temperature for bonding can be input via the new real constant TBND.
For the birth and death option, contact elements are no longer restricted to following the birth and death status of the underlying elements.
INTER202 and INTER205 -- These linear interface elements can now simulate interfacial delamination of laminate composites and VCCT-based general crack growth. The new KEYOPT(2) allows you to select whether the element is to be used with a cohesive zone material or for crack growth simulation using VCCT.
PLANE223, SOLID226, and SOLID227 -- These coupled-field solid elements have a new option (KEYOPT10) to control the diagonalization of the element damping matrix in coupled-field analyses with thermal and diffusion degrees of freedom.
HSFLD241 and HSFLD242 -- These hydrostatic fluid elements can now be used in a linear perturbation analysis.
The following legacy element has been undocumented at this release:
| Undocumented Legacy Element | Suggested Current-Technology Element | Recommendations |
| TRANS109 | PLANE223 | Set KEYOPT(1) = 1001. |
| SOLID117 | SOLID236 | -- |
For information about other elements that have been undocumented in prior releases, see the archived release notes on the ANSYS Customer Portal.